Fall…Get Up…Repeat

I’ve learned a lot of things in the last year and a half. I’ve learned that I can overcome many things. I’ve learned what my limitations are. I’ve learned that I can defy those limitations and push past them. I’ve learned that I can be tempted yet not cave in to delicious junk food. I’ve learned what clothes I like to workout in. I’ve learned what time of day is best for me to eat. The list is endless. However, the most important thing I’ve learned is that I’ve failed and fallen many times and that I will continue to do so and that I have the power and will to get up, learn a lesson and keep going.

This was a tough lesson to learn. The first time I failed was my first full weekend after starting my weight loss journey. I ate like I have never eaten before. It felt good at the time, but the scale begged to differ. It would have been easy for me to quit right there and tell myself that I can’t do it. That I can’t eat right and lose weight. It would have been easy for me to shut it down, return to my usual habits and continue to gain weight. But I refused; I picked myself up and forged ahead.

I soon learned that falling down is all part of the experience. It comes with the territory. Once I understood that, I took more risks and pushed myself. I knew that I would fall down. But I also knew that I would get back up and keep going. Failing isn’t a bad thing, in fact I think its necessary. To truly understand my limits, to learn and to grow, I know that I need to push my boundaries. In doing that, failures will happen. When I push those limits and fall down, I take a few moments to understand why, learn from it and keep going.

I think too many people go into weight loss with the idea that it will all go smoothly and the pounds will melt off. When they encounter a bump in the road, they get bummed out and revert to their old ways. I see too many people that do well for 2 weeks, a month and then gain all the weight back plus some. They fell down along the way and didn’t get back up. Getting back up is, for me at least, the key to losing weight and living the life I want to live.

Know that falling down and getting up is within me, I have been able to push my limits even further and experiment with different things. What time of day I eat, what I eat, how much water to drink, when to workout etc. Its been fun to learn my body and how it reacts to different scenarios. Most of the experiments are failures but in failure comes knowledge.

I know that I will fall down and fail dozens of times in the future. But I will also get back up!